RBC gymnasts eyeing the perfect season
Beate Jones returns to lead talented Casey squad
BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Brooke Grohol competes on the high bar during the Caseys’ recent win over Colts Neck.

It’s safe to say the Red Bank Catholic girls gymnastics team is setting the bar high this season.

The Caseys are coming off a brilliant season, one which saw the team take second at the Shore Conference meet and third in the all-around of the state competition.

They also put together a perfect dual-meet season and captured the Class B North division title.

While that certainly makes for a hard act to follow, the Caseys are actually looking to top it.

And with an early season victory over rival Colts Neck, the team that knocked the Caseys out of the states last year, the team looks to have the early momentum needed to launch a special season.

Beating Colts Neck, an extremely talented team featuring last year’s state sectional all-around champ, Lindsay Diamond, who also finished fourth in the AA at the state championships, was the exact type of start the Caseys needed.

“Going into the meet, we were very nervous,” said head coach Maureen Sutphen. “This meet seemed very early, but the team went in and looked phenomenal.”

The Cougars are much more than just Diamond. It’s the reason they scored a school record 110.05 points last year, a score that is rare in gymnastics, and one of the goals for the Caseys this year.

Breaking the 110 mark, which is something the RBC team has not accomplished in over 25 years, is a realistic goal for this team, though it will take a total team effort

“We’ve just have to stay on the beam,” said Sutphen. “They’ve looked that good so far, and I think they can do it.”

The Caseys may have lost three senior starters from last year’s squad, but returned a whopping total of 14 girls who qualified for the postseason. Returning so many multifaceted gymnasts is the reason why Sutphen expects another big year.

“We are so lucky to have great depth,” she said. “These girls can do just about everything.”

Leading the Caseys is senior captain Nicole Whesper, the only senior on the team, who has embraced her role early on, according to her coach.

“She’s been a great leader,” said Sutphen. “She has really stepped up, especially with such a young team, and is doing a great job.”

There’s no question who the Caseys’ top performer is — junior Beate Jones, last year’s Shore Conference all-around champion, who also has an individual state championship (2003 floor exercise) to her credit. And after finishing third last year at the state championship, Jones has an eye on the top spot this time around.

Jones has developed quite a rivalry with Colts Neck’s Diamond for Shore-area supremacy over the years. Jones won the SC all-around title, while Diamond captured the state sectional crown.

But Jones is also focused on helping the Caseys in their pursuit of a perfect season. She may be the leader, but there’s plenty of talent throughout the squad.

Sutphen looks for a host of returning gymnasts who have put together strong seasons, including junior Alexis Merante, junior Gina Fontes, sophomore Staci Fontes, sophomore Ainsley Keating, sophomore Kristin Cahn and sophomore Julia Carpenter, all of whom can compete in the all-around.

The Caseys have also seen great promise in freshman Brooke Grohol, who won the beam in the opener against Colts Neck, and junior Lauren D’Aessio (vault and beam) and sophomore Lauren Galifi (AA).

With a solid returning crew, it’s easy to see why Sutphen has set such high expectations for her team.

The Caseys want it all this year — and they’re poised to take it.

RBC was back in action on Tuesday against Neptune and has another big meet tomorrow when they travel to Southern Regional.

Key dates this year are: Oct. 29, the Shore Conference Championships at Brick Memorial High School (Shapiro is the meet director); Nov. 5, the Central Jersey state sectional at Manalapan High School; and the NJSIAA State Championships at Rutgers University on Nov. 12.